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Shaving foam actually. Got this idea from the net. It’s really fun! If you want to know how it’s done, just google it. There are lots of instructional videos on Youtube too.

I got the kids to make swirls with metal chopsticks. Isn’t the foam pretty? Looks like some kind of candy.

The boy’s swirls:

Girl’s:

Smoothening out the colours to make a different pattern.

I made colorful spirals

We even used stencils. It was hard though.

Some of the prints:

They dried out very nicely, with no smell. There’s even a slight shimmer on the papers. We used regular printing paper. Oh, we used up a whole can of brand new shaving cream in that one session! So do prepare more! 🙂

I had noticed that Bogum was always dressed very casually for the 2nd part of his fanmeets. He’s usually in a sweater. There’s this thing about Koreans and sweaters? Aren’t they hot in it? But I must say I get a little envious. Sweaters are actually flattering on most body shapes (to me at least) but Singapore is way too hot.

Bogum did not come out in a sweater! Wow. He was decked in his favorite stripes. Bogum-ah! I also love stripes, particularly blue and white ones. *hi-5s*

We already knew he would be coming out from the back, down the aisle. What surprised me was his song choice. I gasped when I heard the intro. Before the fanmeet, I told Serene he could sing anything, just no NDP songs please. And there he was, singing Singapura, Sunny Island. LOL. Ok lah. Can lah. Especially since he and Joongki would keep singing the chorus throughout the games session. And Bogum’s ‘pretty flowers’ gesture was too cute!

The crowd went absolutely crazy as Bogum walked amongst them. He was unharmed don’t worry. His guards could probably sue for sexual harrassment though. Haha. Bogum had wanted to gift a fan the flower garland but couldn’t because the fans were too passionate. He playfully blamed us, saying it’s our fault. Haha.

Though the song was fun, I wished he had played the piano and sung a longer local song instead. He was only on the piano for 2 short songs that night. To be honest, I’m inspired by his piano playing. You may think I exaggerate because I am a pianist myself and he’s just an actor. He’s a really good pianist though. I want to learn his slightly jazzy chord progressions, his sensitivity to dynamics and how he can play in any key with ease. I’m so lacking oh my god.

Happy Dinner chapter was hilarious. It started with him trying out local foods -Roti Prata and Carrot Cake. I love how he loves his food. All kinds of food. Then, he prepared Yubu Chobap (Korean version of Inari Sushi) for a lucky fan.

The specially made Singapore Apron with a coconut tree that Bogum insisted he saw here, and a not-mini-merlion-just-lion. 😀

After the fan entered the stage, the whole thing turned into a gag show. Seriously, I was laughing so darn hard throughout the segment. The fan was stiff, deadpan, unapologetically honest and downright comedic. Bogum played along sooooo well. The reason why I became his fan was because his acting excites me (plus, he is such an exemplary human being). Besides Tony Leung Chiu Wai, he is the only one with such rich and captivating facial expressions. And he showcased his excellent acting during this segment. How he coyly nudged the fan’s shoulder when she answered ‘You’ when asked what drinks she wanted; how he gently pushed away her hand and insisted he fed her the water; how he tantalised her by doing a strawberry-chopstick dance…OH MY GAWD.

From this fanmeet, I also discovered how humorous and playful Bogum is. He asked the fan (name is Priscilla) if she cooks since he was gifting her the apron. She said no, and that she would give the apron to his father. He said he should write “To Priscilla’s father” on the apron then. LOL. Please watch the fancams.

Now… for the special guest… Everybody…. It’s SONG JOONG KI IN DA HOUSE, YO! *screamssssss*

Actually, I’m not a Joongki fan. Haha. But I cheered my lungs out for him too ok? I mean, I don’t get why some fans complained about him taking up too much time during Bogum’s fanmeet. Bogum is always happy to have him, they got to showcase their lovely bromance and games are doubly fun with Joongki around. I would be perfectly happy with just Bogum of course, but Joongki was a bonus.

There were people there who were only there for Joongki, who cheered much more for Joongki. That upset me a little. But Bogum received a lot a lot of love that night and you could see how happy he was that we love his brother too. In fact, the sweet boy immediately backed out of the limelight once Joongki took the stage. He is really a very very kind and humble person.

Joongki is a crowd pleaser. He knew how to hype up the crowd. Bogum..is so… handsome. I was so glad he was facing us. Haha.

Why did they both pick ‘flower’ for the last question? “Because… we are Blossom Brothers.” Awwwwww Bogum. That was so sweet.

You know, it’s very rare to see such good chemistry between the guests and host. I got a strong feeling that Bogum, Joongki, Danny and the translator were all working closely together to present a great show. They reminded one another, cued one another and took care of one another on stage. Their banter was amazing and comfortable. I think it shows what sincere and kind people they all are. I love the part when Bogum and Joongki hi-fived Danny for calling them the Sun and Moon. Bogum went on to say Danny was the Star. Urgh, real life bromance happening before my eyes. Better than watching drama.

Like me, Bogum was born in the year of the Rooster. It’s OUR year baby! And so, they had to make clay chicken figurines. The Ghost scene in the this segment was hilarious!

Bogum’s chickens

Joongki’s….. supposed to be chicken…

Last game. See the Bingo board at the back? They were supposed to pick games to play. I highly suspect they already planned which numbers to pick. I mean, I don’t see any other games props on the stage except for the ones they picked.

Joongki said it was difficult to do this ball game with Kwangsoo because he’s so tall. Hehe.

Scissors-paper-stone to decide final winner. This time, Joongki cheated!

Before Joongki left the stage, he said some heartwarming words about Bogum. He made an appeal to all of us to keep showering Bogum with love and support so that he can grow as an actor and a person. It’s the way he said it, with so much tenderness. Then, Bogum just had to turn to him and say “I love you”. *melts*

Oh, and he said he was going to eat chill crab while waiting for Bogum. Haha.

Photo-taking time. Bogum was going to take a selfie on stage that included the audience, when the lights went off. There was a surprise fanmade video for him. Unfortunately, because of Unusual Entertainment’s anal-ness (lots of restrictions!), the video could not include a lot of things. It was a simple video but I’m glad we had it. Bogum didn’t cry, but looked visibly touched. A professional photographer then took a picture. Sadly, we were too far at the side to be in it.

For every fanmeet, Bogum would handwrite a letter for the fans and read it out at the end. As Singapore was the last stop in his tour before going back to Seoul, his letter was something like a wrap-up for the tour. I copied down what the translator said:

Hello, this is Park Bo Gum. As I look up to Singapore’s clear skies and clean streets, it feels like this journey, both long and short, is now close to coming to an end. It’s been an incredible journey, filled with happiness and gratitude, as it gave me an opportunity to meet many supportive fans from afar who told me they find strength to live their day to day life, through their words. As I began pursuing a career I so love, and met many people from different walks of life, …(couldn’t catch) share diverse words and opinions, which sometimes would confuse me. Nonetheless, whenever the emptiness hits me and it feels like nobody understands my efforts and feelings… Every time that happens, I tell my myself my life is what I make it and I am wholly responsible for all decisions I make, and consequences that follow. It’s such thoughts that gave me a clarity of mind. You only live once. I hope both you and I continue to keep in mind that every choice we make defines our lives and make every day a happy day. Thank you so much again for being part of this wonderful experience. I wish your everyday is filled with gratitude and happiness. God bless you all.

He wanted to present the handwritten letter as a gift to an elderly fan who was looking at him tenderly when he was walking down the aisles. I was really touched when I saw him bent over and trying very hard to find her. He stood like that for a long time in silence, and still couldn’t be sure which lady it was. Sooooooo charming.

Finally, he said he still remembered how she looked like and he would be sure to pass the letter to her. Awwww. Then, he sang his last song (if you don’t count encore), A Little Girl and choked up. His voice was already unstable mid-song. I found myself saying “Don’t cry….” 😥

He sang ‘My Person’ for encore and aced it ok. No, he didn’t try ad libs like in Bangkok (whew…. :P) but he managed to hit all the notes. He could hardly sing the whole song at his first stop, KL. His singing has indeed come a long way. With proper training, he definitely can be a singer.

The photo that cut our row off. 😦

Look at the amount of confetti that rained on us. Hmmm. It was more like a storm. The machine went off halfway through ‘My Person’, right in front of me. I was happily singing along (yesh! I knew the lyrics!) when the machine BOOM-ed! I couldn’t see Bogum or hear anything thereafter. Hahaha. Watch the fancam and you’ll understand why.

These were taken when we were waiting for the hi-touch session, which is basically hi-5. But I guess hi-t0uch sounds more appealing to fans? Haha. Anyway, it’s true that the ‘touch’ wasn’t restricted to a hi-5. Bogum was extremely accommodating. He reciprocated every action from the fans. If they made a heart, he returned one. If they held out a handshake, he shook their hands. If they spoke to him, he replied, and more. Look, he had about 3500 hands to touch. And he was always smiling, always sweet and always looked sincere. Those eyes… Indeed, black holes they are.

In the first place, he didn’t have to do that at every venue. He’s already a top star. His fanmeet already lasted longer than most others (it was more than 3 hours!) and he had honestly given more than enough fanservice throughout the event. I have heard of hi-touch sessions, but for a few hundred fans at the most. The fact that he wanted to do this shows a lot about his genuine desire to get closer to the fans and how humble he is. The hi-touch session lasted for about 2 hours!

We were the VERY LAST row for the hi-touch, which happened on stage. So we got an extra 2 hours of ogling. We spent that time laughing at the fans reactions and cussing at the ones who slapped or grabbed Bogum’s hand too hard! Hey! Precious piano-playing hands those are! And he still had 3000 more to go!

I can vouch that Bogum is indeed an angel without wings. For the 2 hours, he stood, most of the time with his back arched so he could make better eye contact with his shorter fans. There was a lady who was hobbling up the steps with a walking stick. He saw that and darted out from behind the table to her. SO. SWEET. Everytime he saw a bandage on a fan… that look of concern on his face made me melt. Even to the (annoying) fans who lingered too long, he tried to smile and wave goodbye, never once showing any irritation or exhaustion. Though it’s very clear he was dead beat.

Although starving, we were at least sitting comfortably while waiting our turn. Even then, after the back-breaking 2 hours on stage, the first thing Bogum said to me when it was my turn was:”Thank you for waiting so long.” Bogum-ah… I hi-fived him with both hands, looked into his eyes, fascinated by how tiny his face was, and said: “Stay healthy.” Honestly, he looked like he could faint anytime. Poor thing. But he managed a weak smile and replied: “Thank you. Always, take care.” We had a handshake. I walked away still feeling the sensation of his soft and smooth hands on mine.

Honestly, it wasn’t a magical moment for me or anything like that. Till now, it still felt unreal. But precious, yes. I am glad I have this paper plane to prove that everything was real. Haha.

To be honest, this is the first time I am so taken by an actor. I usually follow singers. Park Bogum’s talent and wholesome image really appealed to me. And yet, I keep discovering that he is so much more. Plus, he is just so darn gorgeous. I told Serene I think I love him already. Haha. I was a fan before the fanmeet, but he has now risen to the very-rare-few-artistes-always-in-my-heart status. The only other 2 are Yunho and Changmin of TVXQ.

Freebies given to all ticket holders.

Talking about ticket holders. The ushers at the event were very sad they could not hi-touch Bogum because they were not ticket holders. Awwww. So near yet so far away…

And of course, a present from the man himself. Only 5 in the whole world ok!

Awwww those 3 days I spent fangirling was so much fun! I really miss that. I have yet to blog about airport and photo-op day. I will, in time. Meanwhile, enjoy the fancams that I will be posting up. Hopefully soon. 🙂

I mean, he was. He arrived at our sunny little island on Friday. And I was there at the airport with Calynn, to welcome him. Well, not exactly. We aren’t fans, just there for fun. I was mainly there to take pictures. Haha.

Thursday night, I was actually scrolling through Park Bogum’s FB fanpage when I saw a video of him and other Reply cast congratulating Kyung Pyo on his first Sg fanmeet. What? Sg? A bit of searching later, I realised his fanmeet was on Saturday and I also found his flight details. It’s at night, it’s Friday… Hmmm. I could perhaps… go? Jio-ed Calynn and she was on.

Friday. On the way to the airport, I googled for Song Seung Heon’s flight details. I knew he had a fanmeet on the same day as Kyung Pyo and was just being nosey. Alamak! Song Seung Heon (for some reason, I cannot name Song Seung Heon without his surname) and Kyung Pyo were on the same flight! I’m not a fan of Song, but it’s still pretty exciting! 2 stars coming at the same time!

Calynn and I chatted over tea at Hello Kitty Orchid Garden first, since it was still early. Erm, I was a bit underwhelmed by the cafe. Stuff there are crazy expensive.

We wondered if there would be a crowd to welcome the 2 stars as we slowly walked to the arrival gate. A barricade was already up, so we waited there. That was when the fun began. We tried to guess which fan was there for who. A malay guy fan of Kyung Pyo started chatting up other people. “Who are you here for? Song Seung Heon? I’m here for Ko Kyung Pyo.” The auntie had a blank look on her face. I guess she hadn’t heard of the young actor. Haha.

There was a group of young guys with lenses, who intrigued us. Why were they there? Why would they be interested in Song Seung Heon and Ko Kyung Pyo? So I did what I did best, eavesdrop. A group of aunties (Song’s fans) apparently asked them who they were waiting for. “Oh? So yours are on the 9.45 Asiana flight? Not like the other on SQ! I see.” WHAT???? More celebrities are arriving? What is happening???

Using my very powerful eavesdropping skill, I gathered Davichi was also coming that night. Oh my gawd. What luck!

More and more people came. Some clueless passersby asked the people behind us who we were waiting for. “Who? Korean actor? What drama? Orhhhh… that guy….” Past arrival time. Everybody was on their toes. Just one scream or squeal was enough to send everyone there into a frenzy. Where? Where? Which one? Turned out there were groups of youngsters waiting for the arrival of their friends. Us two just kept laughing at the commotion.

And finally, I saw a very tall guy in stripes… and wondered if he was…. Then, people started screaming and running to the other side where Belt 46 was. Fine, I’ll bite. Calynn stayed put in case our space got taken up. Everybody at Belt 46 there was waving and clicking frantically. Frankly, it was so blardy far I had to look at their handphone screens to know which person to aim at.

As suspected, it’s this guy in stripes. (Well, he’s the only one tall enough to be him) This girl who was clicking non-stop beside me, starting laughing and said “What if he is not Kyung Pyo? He looks kinda confused.” You mean you didn’t confirm he’s him before you waved and clicked? Lol. By the way, what kind of fashion is that? All in stripes!

This ‘guy in stripes’ was looking around, like he wasn’t sure how to respond to this group of people crazily trying to get his attention. Not me hor. I was calm and composed.

I went back to Calynn, chuckling, not knowing if I had indeed taken pictures of the actor. Checked my camera, zoomed….. Oh yeah! It IS him. Haha.

Finally, he arrived at the exit looking very stunned to see so many people there. Lol. Just look at him. Haha.

The malay fan shouted: OH MY GOD! IT’S KYUNG PYO! I had moved in front by then and managed a weak hello. No worries, I didn’t call him oppa. I didn’t shout his name. Haha. As I said, I was there to take pictures.

He seemed to be in a daze, and was walking somewhat awkwardly.It looked like he was coming towards us to greet us but the security guards swooped in and swished him away at lightning speed. It was no joke ok. I thought they were The Flash. He walked much faster than Yunho and Changmin that time. I couldn’t keep up.

Half the crowd went away after Kyung Pyo left. Wow. So many were there for him? Song still didn’t show. In the state of confusion, people in front started snapping pictures again. I followed suit, while trying to make out who it was. By the time I realised Davichi just walked past me, it was too late. I didn’t get any shots of them. Mainly because they were so tiny! I jokingly told Calynn that I am always awed by how tall the male celebrities are in real life, and how short and small the females one are. 😛

People started moving away to another section of the airport. By moving, I mean running. Soon, I found myself running too. Realising that it was impossible for Song to come out at an exit without barricade, I started heading back. Met Calynn in the middle. We were going to take our own sweet time when I turned around and saw the same big group of fans running towards us. Oh my!

After some running and lots of laughing, we decided to call it a day. That was her first celeb airport experience and she agreed it was very fun.

Saturday. Haircut ended earlier than expected. Wanted to do a bit of CNY shopping. So I decided to head down to Suntec City where Kyung Pyo would make a short appearance at 5:5 FiveFiveKr.

He walked up from behind me. Then passed me by, just one arm’s length away. Wah! So handsome!

The store has an open concept. Great! Fantastic photo opportunity! But boohooo, I did not have a camera with me. Luckily, I had my iPad. At least it takes better pictures than my handphone.

He walked around the store, looking pretty overwhelmed. In fact, the staff had to keep asking us to cheer loudly for him because he was very shy. Ok, I won’t lie. I was basically hyperventilating the whole time.

See what I mean? I really wished I had my camera with me.

Second outfit! I love this! He looks so good after he slimmed down. No doubt he was already blessed with good height, long legs and a pleasing face.

Bye Kyung Pyo!

Photos of Korean stars always garner a tremendous response online. It’s so fun to chat with friends whom I don’t even know watch Kdramas, and whom I had never even chatted with online. And it’s always amusing to me, to watch fans in action, eavesdrop on gossips and laugh at their antics.

That’s why I love being a fangirl, or pretending to be one. It’s just unadulterated fun and the feeling of being young again.

I’ve had friends requesting for me to take more pictures for them. Woo Bin… Park Bo Gum… Well, if the timing fits, I will. But right now, I just cannot seem to find Woo Bin’s flight details….Anybody knows?

Our friend, Bernard, who is also our Rubberband bandmate, set up an art studio a while ago. I know, how talented is he right? He is an awesome singer, and an equally talented artist.

Last Christmas, he invited the whole band (plus our 2 little ones, of course) to his studio for an art jam session. I was prepared to paint for 3 hours but it dragged to 5! Haha.

This is his very cozy art studio, Arterspace Art Studio, at Bukit Timah Shopping Centre. He’s moving soon though. Like his FB page for updates.

Under his guidance, the kids successful did their first acrylic painting. It’s the super cute Nyanko Sensei from Natsume’s Book of Friends!

I did a landscape scene from one the Ghibli animation films. I don’t know which one.

To be honest, I have some art skills but prior to this, I had never done blending with paints and landscape pictures. I mostly do art pieces like this. That is why I deliberately chose this beautiful painting of light shining down through the canopy. I wanted to learn how to paint stuff like that. Bernard and Herman taught me well and I think I’ve gotten a little hang of it. Now, I am a little braver to experiment with different techniques. Oh, full disclosure, Bernard did the light rays for me. Hehe.

I guess the kids couldn’t get enough of doing art and we had another art session at home before school started. Barry opted to design his machines and weaponry with pen. His drawings are always very freestyle. Haha.

Mandy painted a yokai, also from Natsume’s Book of Friends. If you haven’t watched the animation series yet, go watch. It’s a a wonderful cartoon that even I enjoyed immensely.

Isn’t this pretty? She didn’t do blending and there wasn’t any refined techniques involved but it turned out perfect. I helped her with the background and gave her pointers along the way. We were both pleased with the outcome.

At the same time, I also worked on a Porco Rosso piece, another Ghibli animation. Previously, I would avoid such works because of the sky. My style is clear defined lines with outlines. Haha. But I tried and it turned out ok! Whew. It’s also one of the few times I drew something freehand.

Both paintings were done in poster paint, which presented a lot of problems as compared to acrylic. I shan’t bother with the details though. Haha.

Went to soak up the Christmas mood at Orchard Road last december. Very happy Trixie’s family joined us. I wanted the kids to see the decoration at Centrepoint. So, after a movie at Lido Orchard (very boring Rogue One. I dozed off twice), we had dinner and slowly walked to Centrepoint while admiring the sights and enjoying some of the activities on the way.

Finally at Centrepoint! It deserved to win the Best Dressed Mall award (voter’s choice). Ion won the judge’s choice. Erm, well, it was quite pretty but didn’t wow me.

Centrepoint’s theme was some kind of Christmas Kitchen with LOADS of gorgeous fake pastries, confectionery, sweets, drinks etc. I couldn’t help but squeal at the intricate creations.

Talking about festive decorations. Recently, an article came out on the papers. It was about this uncle, a resident of Marsiling, who decorates a part of the common area every festival, to bring in festive cheer to the neighborhood. Since my mum stays in the area, we went to take a look during our visit.

Wow. I was impressed. Every evening, he would even set up a bubble machine for the kids. Unfortunately, I did not get to see the light-up at night. This Chinese New Year, I will be sure to visit the area again. Looking forward to his CNY decorations!

One weekday morning, 8am. Kids were in school, I was halfway through vacuuming/mopping (using our roombas and scoobas) when I heard a loud shrill cry. At first, I thought it was a cat. But no, cats aren’t that loud. The cries got more intense and my curiosity was piqued. I looked out of my wonder and got a huge surprise!

There was a macaw perching on the tree right in front of my block. What’s it doing there? I knew for sure this was a lost bird. And I knew this bird was BLARDY expensive. The owner must be panicking big time.

I debated if I should start shooting with the DSLR before it flew away. BUT, I didn’t. What was more pressing was that the owner and the bird reunite. So I hastily took a picture of the macaw with my handphone and posted the picture on the Singapore Birder FB group and my personal FB page, hoping to find the owner. Then, I took some nicer shots of the bird.

I was due for an errand then but oh my gawd, how could I leave? I was pacing about in my flat. At one point, the macaw’s calls got so desperate I burst into tears and started begging for it to be just a little more patient while we wait for news. Honestly, its call was one of the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever heard.

I felt I couldn’t just wait around any longer. Left the house, took off on my bike and started asking people in the neighborhood, even got so far as to knock on 2 possible birdowners’ doors. No luck.

Just then, someone on the SG Birder group said he found the owner and asked me if the bird was still around. I couldn’t answer him then. Rushed back to my block and saw a group of guys with various other expensive-looking birds, trying to coax the macaw down from the tree.

They succeeded. And these 2 lovey-dovey friends had a warm reunion.

I spoke to the owner briefly but he had no idea I was the one who helped in finding his bird. It’s ok. I was just so so happy for them.

Soon, birder guy who found the owner sent me screencaps of relieved members of the macaw owner family thanking me and him for the teamwork. Awwww. I felt like I did something wonderful. Nicest feeling in the world!

It didn’t end there. The next day, I got a FB message from one of the members of the parrot owner community here in SG. He said the community was very grateful to me. Apparently, they’re a close knitted group and meet up every week for their birds to free-fly. He invited me to one of their sessions, as a way to thank me. Awwwww.

We did go. I and the kids. We cycled all the way from Sembawang to Woodlands to meet the birds, I mean, the owners. It was the best weather to cycle in. Kids had such a blast! The venue is so pretty and serene too! Love it!

Guy who invited me, and his 2 hyacinth macaws. Magnificient!

The PCN that linked the 2 towns. Quiet mornings are the best!

Halfway through the session, the birdowners had to change venue, because.. traffic police… oops. This^ is us cycling all the way to the next venue to join them. Well, good thing second venue is near our place. 🙂

More birdies joined the gang in Sembawang. This is a super adorable little lovebird on my hand!

Doing their thing.

I only brought along the small camera because I wasn’t sure the owners would be comfortable with me taking pictures of their birds. Turned out they WANTED me to take nice pictures of their precious pets. Haha. I told them next time! 😛

The morning was really really fun and well-spent. It was such an eye-opener! I talked to a couple of the guys and learned quite a bit about parrots too. I also found out the circumstances in which Elmo (oh ya, that’s the name of the bird that was lost) got separated from the flock. Must have been super traumatising for both Elmo and its owner.

Elmo wasn’t there that day. Maybe I’ll get to see it next time. Meanwhile, we picked up this beautiful feather that one of the hyacinth macaws dropped. Our souvenir! 🙂